Counter tray



Patented Aug. 23, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 14,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to trays for use upon counters in supporting and displaying merchandisc, and particularly merchandise contained in small packages or consisting of relatively small articles; and the object of the invention is to provide a tray of the class described which is molded or cast from a suitable composition. or compound so as to materially simplify and cheapen the cost of production of an article of the class under consideration, and at the same time, provide an article of this kind which may be readily handled and conveniently cleaned during the use thereof; a further object being to provide a tray of the class described, the inner surfaces of the side walls of which are tapered and the lower corner portions of which are rounded to facilitate the removal of small articles from the tray as well as to simplify the cleaning of the tray whenever desired; a further object being to provide the inner surfaces of opposed walls with one or more pairs of inwardly projecting partition supporting members whereby the tray or the compartment thereof may be divided into two, three, four or six compartments formed by partition strips detachably mounted with respect to the tray and with respect to each other; a still further object being toprovide a tray of the class described which will be constructed of such dimensions as to permit the arrangement of a number of the trays upon a counter of standard size to substantially cover the full depth of the counter without the loss of counter space and further to the provision of means for supporting the trays in a stepped relationship or angular position on the counter; and with these and other objects in view, the invention consists in a device of the class and for the purpose specified, which is simple in construction, efficient in use, and which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in. the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvements are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse, sectional view through a counter showing one. arrangement of the trays thereon.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified arrangement of the trays on a counter.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a tray indicating one method of partitioning the same; and,

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44- of Fig. 3 with thepartitions detached.

1936, Serial No. 68,894

In order to fully comprehend certain features of my invention, it is advisable to point out that in many kinds and classes of chain stores, counters of standard size and construction are employed, particularly, with respect to the depth of the counter surface. It is one distinctive feature of my invention to standardize the construction of trays of different sizes, which might be graded as small, medium and large as to length and width, so that a number of such trays in the respective sizes, when arranged end to end or side by side, on a counter, will fill or substantially fill the counter surface transversely so that no loss will be experienced in the display surface of the counter or that part thereof upon which the trays or a groupof trays are arranged to display merchandise of the kind for which the trays are suitable, namely, articles in relatively small containers or small in size.

In the accompanying drawing, for the purpose of illustrating one use of my invention, I have shown a tray 5 consisting of a bottom wall 6 having a downwardly extending peripheral flange 1 which serves to support the bottom 6 above the surface upon which the tray is mounted. EX- tending upwardly from the bottom 6 are long side walls 8 and shorter end walls 9 to produce an oblong, rectangular tray. The inner surfaces of the walls 8 and 9 are tapered upwardly and outwardly so as to provide relatively thin upper edges l0 which are preferably rounded on their inner corners.

The inner surfaces of the side walls 8 are provided with three pairs of inwardly projecting and vertically arranged ribs ll integrally formed with said walls, said pairs of ribs being arranged one directly opposite the other on the opposed walls 8, and the end walls 9 are provided centrally with a pair of corresponding ribs l2. The central pair Ha of the ribs II is arranged centrally of the walls 8, whereas the other pairs lib and lie are arranged at opposite sides of the pairs of ribs Ha and are equally spaced therefrom.

It will be noted upon a consideration of Fig. 4 of the drawing, that the inner surface of the walls of the tray, intermediate the pairs of ribs II and I2, is preferably made straight, as indicated at I3 at theleft of Fig. 4. This. straight wall joins the bottom wall in a sharp corner i4, whereas, throughout the remainder of the tray, the lower inner corner I5 is' rounded as indicated at the right of Fig. 4. The purpose of thereunded corner I5 throughout the tray is to facilitate removal of smallarticles from the tray and at lil the same time, to simplify cleaning or dusting of the tray whenever desired.

I also provide means for dividing the compartment of the tray into a number of compartments of different sizes. In Fig. 3 of the drawing, I have indicated one arrangement of partitions for dividing the tray into four compartments, which is accomplished by a transverse partition I6 arranged and supported in the pairs Ha of the ribs II and supplemental partitions lBa which extend from the pairs of ribs 12 to the partitions l6 abutting or substantially abutting the latter, and supported against relative movement thereon by a cross-shaped spring coupling or clip II.

It will be seen from a consideration of Fig. 4 of the drawing, that the pairs of rods H-IZ do not extend to the upper edges of the tray. However, the partition strips IB, [6a that may be employed will extend to the upper edges of the tray. These strips are usually composed of glass but may be composed of any desired material, for example, a material consistent with that used in the construction of the tray. A single partition such as l6 may be employed to divide the tray into two compartments, and in like manner, a single partition may be used between the lugs l2-|2 to divide the tray also into two compartments, or two of such partition strips may be arranged in the opposed pairs of lugs H2), H in the manner indicated by the dot and dash lines 18, represented in Fig. 3 of the drawing, to divide the tray into three compartments, or if used in conjunction with a partition similar to the partition IGa, the tray may be divided into six compartments. In the latter case, two of the couplings similar to the couplings I? will be employed. By providing each of the trays with the pairs of lugs disclosed, the trays may be used without any partitions, or with any number of partitions that may be desired to divide the same into the required number of compartments.

To illustrate two distinct uses of the tray shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing, I have indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, a cross section of a counter consisting of a counterboard l9 having a front, upwardly projecting finishing strip 20, and a rear, upwardly projecting backing strip 2|. With trays of the kind disclosed in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing, four of these trays may be arranged in end to end relation directly upon the counterboard l9 or any suitable facing material applied thereto or upon a step forming member 22 as is seen in Fig. 1 of the drawing, having stepped surfaces 22a, 22b and 220 arranged at different heights so that the second, third and fourth trays are arranged above the other in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. With this arrangement, the devices for supporting price tags may be arranged directly upon the front edges of the trays arranged immediately above the forward tray, and the price tag supporting means of the last or upper tray may be arranged upon the counter or upon the back wall of the tray.

With the construction shown, the combined length of four of the trays will equal or substantially equal the depth of the counter or the distance between the front and rear strips 20, 2|. On the other hand, the width of the trays is such that five of these trays may be similarly mounted on a counter of the same standard depth, either directly upon the counter or in the stepped arrangement shown in Fig. 1, or in both arrangements of the trays, they may be disposed side by side as shown in Fig. 2, or in an end to end relation on an upwardly inclined support 23 in the manner indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

Other arrangements of the trays may be provided on the counter or other supports, depending entirely upon the type of display which is desired and the particular kind or class of merchandise supported in the trays or the several compartments thereof. In displaying certain kinds of merchandise where it is desirable to protect or cover the merchandise arranged on display, short partition strips may be used in the trays of a height no greater than the vertical dimensions of the supporting ribs and a transparent cover or top panel may be arranged within the tray and supported on said ribs and on the partition strips if the latter are employed.

In constructing the tray, the same will be molded or cast from suitable materials or compounds and preferably such materials of a nonmetallic structure in order to economize on the production of the trays and at the same time, reduce the weight thereof. Heretofore, it has been the practice or custom to construct trays from wood for displaying merchandise in the manner herein represented or to simply use available sheet metal dishes which were in no Way standardized, nor were they provided with any means for constructing compartments within the trays, varying not only in size but in number.

The construction of wooden trays as well as others, has been expensive and unsatisfactory, whereas a tray of the kind under consideration, in the first place, become standardized as to size in its adaptation for the intended uses, and furthermore, fulfills the desired want at the lowest possible cost, and at the same time, produces an article which is highly finished thereby materially enhancing and otherwise beautifying the display as a whole. In molding or casting various types of non-metallic compounds, the same may be made in various colors or combinations of colors to suit the fancy and desires of the user, or to be consistent with the merchandise placed on display.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A merchandise display tray of the class described comprising a unitary molded rectangular body of rigid material consisting of a bottom wall and upwardly extending side and end walls having perpendicularly straight, smooth and unobstructed outer surfaces, the inner surfaces of said side walls being tapered from the bottom l wall upwardly and outwardly to form relatively thin upper edges on the walls of said tray, the side and end walls joining the bottom wall by a fillet, the inner surfaces of opposed walls of said tray having pairs of inwardly projecting vertically arranged bar like lugs so placed apart as to snugly receive relatively thin partition members to be inserted therein, said lugs extending from the bottom wall of the tray upwardly and terminating at a point below the upper edges of said walls, said pairs of said lugs being arranged on the inner surfaces of both the side and end walls of the tray in directly opposed relation one with respect to the other, the side walls of the tray having a plurality of pairs of said lugs, and the inner surfaces of the walls of said tray intermediate the pairs of lugs thereon paralleling the outer surfaces of the tray.

2. A merchandise display tray of the class described comprising a unitary molded rectangular body of rigid material consisting of a bottom wall and upwardly extending side and end walls having perpendicularly straight, smooth and unobstructed outer surfaces, the inner surfaces of said side walls being tapered from the bottom wall upwardly and outwardly to form relatively thin upper edges on the walls of said tray, the side and end walls joining the bottom wall by a fillet, the inner surfaces of opposed walls of said tray having pairs of inwardly projecting vertically arranged bar like lugs so spaced apart as to snugly receive relatively thin partition members to be inserted therein, said lugs extending from the bottom wall of the tray upwardly and terminating at a point below the upper edges of said walls, said pairs of said lugs being arranged on the inner surfaces of both the side and end walls of the tray in directly opposed relation one with respect to the other, the side walls of the tray having a plurality of pairs of said lugs, the inner surfaces of the walls of said tray intermediate the pairs of lugs thereon paralleling the outer surfaces of the tray and joining the bottom wall in sharp corners to permit the lawer edge of the partition to engage the upper surface of the bottom wall, and the upper edges of the side and end walls being bevelled.

3. A merchandise display tray of the class described comprising a unitary molded rectangular body of rigid material consisting of a bottom wall and upwardly extending side and end walls having perpendicularly straight, smooth and unobstructed outer surfaces, the inner surfaces of said side walls being tapered from the bottom wall upwardly and outwardly to form relatively thin upper edges on the walls of said tray, the side and end walls joining the bottom wall by a fillet, the inner surfaces of opposed walls of said tray having pairs of inwardly projecting vertically arranged bar like lugs so spaced apart as to snugly receive relatively thin partition members to be inserted therein, said lugs extending from the bottom wall of the tray upwardly and terminating at a point below the upper edges of said walls, said pairs of said lugs being arranged on the inner surfaces of both the side and end walls of the tray in directly opposed relation one with respect to the other, the side walls of the tray having a plurality of pairs of said lugs, the inner surfaces of the walls of said tray intermediate the pairs of lugs thereon paralleling the outer surfaces of the tray, and the side and end walls projecting below the bottom wall to form peripheral supporting flanges.

PIERRE H. MEYER. 

